Twitter and Nike at the Oscars

Last night’s Oscars broadcast is one of a few times during the year when large numbers of people tune into live television – creating the opportunity for brands to unveil new advertising. While there were some interesting campaigns (Walmart), there were two ads that stood above and beyond the rest.

The first was from Twitter. In a compelling 60-seconds that used Denise Frohman’s poem (and featuring her), the spot pivoted off of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement, connecting to the twitter platform with the hashtag #HereWeAre. This simple execution – using striking photography and type reinforcing Frohman’s words. Twitter put a stake in the ground with their values – and hopefully starting now, we’ll see a stronger effort from Twitter to take down bots, bully’s and abusers.

The second was from Nike. This takes Twitter’s effort to an even higher level. Honest, strong and emotional, Serena Williams delivers a powerful message that “there is no wrong way to be a woman” with the tagline Until We All Win.

Both spots do a fantastic job of communicating the values of these companies, rather than the features and benefits. As consumers, that’s what we care about. That’s what matters. That’s what we buy into, and in turn, what we’ll buy. And that’s why some brands are loved, and others are simply “liked”.